Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-20

The Generals Terrible Oath, and tI,,
Effect Which i. Had-James T.. a.ur-
dock, the EIocutionist - The Poe:
Painter and His Picture,
In that remarkable poem, with which We
are ell familiar, Buchanan Read describes
Sheridan as riding down the lines with "a
terrible oath" which was so soul stirring as
to bring the demoralized and scattered sol
diers to a realizing sense of the responsibility
OF the occasion and to turn them from sheep
to men. The general does not recollect ex-
actly what he did say, but has no doubt that
he used language appropriate to the circum,
stances and meant precisely what he said
On some other occasions during the war be
found the ordinary vocabulary Of conversa
ton inadequate TO his thoughts, aud made
use OF language that could not be nlis,inder-
stood, but tie yarns about his profanity,
which were SO widely quoted at the time.
have caused him much annoyance
The impression that his tongue was 9. mint
that was constantly coming ilnprecations of
unique and awful pattern was quite
general, and it grieved the hearts Of a great
many good people that man they had
learned to admire and love should tarnish his
otherwise brilliant reputation by the use Of
biasThemy. Many of them wrote him to ex-
| press their regret. The letters came from
clergymen and mothers of boys, who gently
reconstructed and begged him to abandon the
VICIOUS habit not only for the sake of his
| own soul but for the benefit of their sons.
| who admired him 50 much and We're inclined
| TO initiate even the vices Of great soldier
| 1t Is due to Cen. Sheridan that this false
impression should be corrected for he is not
habiCuaiiy profane and never swears except
upon rare occasions OF extraordinary provo
cation. Then he does not use the vulgar
blasphemy OF the barroom, but coins phrases
OF picturesque and striking originality, which
produce an instantaneous effect and lasting
| impression. His words fall like pile driver.
lie does not ase them for the sake of swear
ing, nor from the fierce of habit, and never
alters the same oath twice, but to emphasize
MS language and to supply a force which tbs
poverty OF his native tongue lacks.
On some supreme occasion, at q great crisis
or emergency, when the souls OF bis men
We're to be aroused, the ordinary adjective
Uoud strike the soldier with no more force
than falling leaf, and the phrases OF the
drawing room would not even reach their
ears. SO much is true of Sheridan, that at
such times his tongue would frame sermon
IN single sentence that never failed to az
rest panic and inspire with courage men
who would have been deaf to the ordinary
tone and manner Of remonstrance or COM
mand.
The retreat at Winchester was one of these
occasions. member of his staff, Gen.
George A. Forsythe, Or SANDY as he was
better known, who rode the famous twenty
miles by Sheridans side but did not get into
the immortal poem, may be considered pretty
good authority. He told me that when ths
general met the first group of stragglers, in |
full retreat, and was informed by them that
the enemy had captured his camp during his /
absence, he turned white with rage and
modification, and exclaimed in a tone that
was not TO be misunderstood
Boys those of you who are not coward, |
follow me, for I'll sleep in that camp tonight |
or I'll sleep in HE'LL"
That was the terrible oath" the author Of
"Sheridan's Ride" referred to, and it had the
effect that was intended The soldiers knew
that Little Phil" was rightfully in earnest,
and there wasn't man in all the shattered |
army who wouldn't share his bed.
l asked Cen Sheridan the other day if hs
knew the author Of the poem.
Yes" he replied, Il knew him well. first
met Mr. Read at the headquarters of Gen.
Rosecrans, just before the battle OF Stone
River. He was guest of the general and re-
manned in camp quite while, so we all got
to know him"
DO you know how he came TO write the
poem"
Yes" said the general, al have heard hin,
tell about it several times. There have been
q number OF ctories published about the ORIGIN
nf tIa | will toll y-o,, Ia +,.,,o -
just as Mr. Read told it to ne. Did YOU
know that James Z. Murdoch suggested the
idea?"
"1Iurdocl1. the elocutionist30
The very man. He was an actor ct one OF
the Cincinnati theatres at the time where [
had hnown him. Murdoch has always isen
Il great friend OF mine, and ! am GLAD to
know the old man keeps so well | see that
he was able TO appear at the memorial ser
vices in honor of Chief Justice Chase the
other day. He lost o son at the battle Of
Missionary Ridge-Murdock did The boy
vas in my command, and the old man came
down to get tie body, don't you know! The
enemy occupied the place where the boy was
buried, and Mr. Murdoch remained a guest
at my headquarters until we recovered the
ground. He used ~ ride the lines with me
every day, and always used my black horse
bjenZI-the that was afterwards called
Winchester and the same that | had under
me on that tWenty-mile canJer No man ever
straddled n better animal. and old Murdoch
became very fond of him. He was a horse
that it was an honor to mount, you see, and
in that poem Read gave him a good send of
VOL, things were very exciting down
nround Chattanooga those days, and Mr..
,Iulioc!l saw good deal OF war. On Sun
lays he always used to recite poems to the
troops around headquarters aGi there was
one OF Brownipgs that the boys never missed
P chance to call for. 1t was a great fayorite
with ne, don't you know, just as it was with
the soldiers, and we never let The cid man eff
without reading it. 1t was the story os the
.ide from Client to Aix-yoU remember it3
well. YOU see, after the battle IT Cedar
Creek there was published in HaGp2Ts Weekly
I story of my ride from Winchester, and Il
picture Of me on the back OF Old Rienzi
syurdocll had agreed 90 recite poem at the
sanitary fair that was being held At Cincinnati
At that time, and Read had promised 70 write
new and appropriate for him.
But when Mur,locl called on lin for the
manuscript the afternoon he was TO recite he !
hadn't toncbe,i a pen u papar-s.,sl he didn't :
snow what to write about. Wen. Murdoch :
lad Just seen man who was in the battle |
md was full Of the s9,ry. being friend OF |
mine. you see. So he pulled the copy Of ]
Harper's Weekly from his pocket and re- c
1eated TO Reed all the officer had told him :
Read jumped up, locked himself in his room. t
wrote the poem offhand in an hour, got his 7
wife to make q copy and had 1t over to Muir {
locks before dark. The latter was delighted s